Driven by the idea to promote ‘prog rock’ bands, who play an eclectic style of music for a specialist audience, I organised, managed and marketed a series of concerts and eventually a 3-day festival in the North Yorkshire town of Knaresborough.

Fascinated with progressive rock and keen to promote the music genre, I approached Howard Priestly, the Phoenix FM Station Manager to consider a progressive rock show at the station, which had not covered the genre before.

Producer Guy Morgan invited me to compose a theme music and collaborate on script writing for the Chocolate City radio play, a community soap opera set in the fictional Clifford’s Chocolate Factory in York.

Silver Lining (with a reduced line-up) performed at my ProgYes festival in 2012. In fact the group had decided to disband earlier that year. Being drawn to their style of music, I discussed the possibility of creating a major new Anglo –French original musical project with their vocalist and lyricist, Thierry Sportouche.